My MF1655 weighs in a little over 2400 with me in the saddle. I've stood it on the front tires alone when pulling 10" dia., 4.5' long concrete posts out of the ground. That's over 4000 lb on the 1" spindles.

There aren't too many GT's with 3/4" spindles that you can ballast to that level. With my old MF12H, I could only get up to 1350 with the same FEL on it. It would stand on the front wheels with an 850 lb payload for 2200 lb on the spindles. I put over 100 hours a year for 7 years on that tractor, likewise for 22 years with the 1655. Almost all loader work.

Never hurt the spindles on either tractor, and never hurt the axle on the MF12H.

The weak point is the axle pivot. That's where all that weight interacts with the frame.

Not necessarily. Horses are hungry and you don't really need that many for loader work. The first engine that you mentioned will "do" the job, but it won't like any kind of slope with the weight of a tractor set up for loader work. It will climb ramps onto a trailer, but it's going to complain.

The big Briggs won't complain about anything, but those extra cubic inches will want to be fed. My 12 hp Massey had adequate power and wasn't all that thirsty. My 20 hp MF1655 thinks I own an oil well in comparison.

The bottom line is big horsepower is for powered implements and hill climbing. GT's in general simply don't have the weight to use more than 10 or 12 hp when working on flat ground with a FEL, and that includes my 2400 lb 1655.

That being said, if you intend to play in the wet ground with any frequency, definitely get the Briggs. I know what Saskatchewan gumbo is like and I assume Manitoba's is similar. I make every effort to keep my tractors out of the mud. I learned my lesson the first spring that I had my 1655, 30 years ago.

the thing with my tractor is FEL work will not be its primary duty, it is going to be in the garden alot too, plowing and such,
so im thinking that if i can get this 18 from my uncle cheap or free, it would be my best choice.
if he doesnt want to sell it then i will take a cruise over to Princess Auto and pick up the 13HP

the thing with my tractor is FEL work will not be its primary duty, it is going to be in the garden alot too, plowing and such,
so im thinking that if i can get this 18 from my uncle cheap or free, it would be my best choice.
if he doesnt want to sell it then i will take a cruise over to Princess Auto and pick up the 13HP

Sounds like a good plan to me. Too much horse power is better than not enough and budgets rule the world.

Yup! They look cool .................... right up to the point where you have to tarp up the tractor to protect it from the 60 mph breeze blowing across a flat prairie and carrying a foot of snow with it. If the tarp stays put, the stacks will poke holes in it.

ok boys, im back at it and got a motor picked out, its the 16HP Briggs i rebuilt, it came out of the same tractor as the rear end. the only problem is it is a vertical shaft and my trans has a horizontal shaft so i am going to have to to use a stupid twisted belt clutch system, but i think it should be ok

Long time since I have posted an update. I have totally revamped my plans for this stupid thing.i now have a vw 1.6 nc diesel motor and 5 speed trans, and a ford 7.5 rear axle. I will possibly be making it articulate and 4x4 but we will see about that one...

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